Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is the city where the Camino Le Puy terminates, and the Camino Frances begins. The charm of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port cannot be easily described. It’s a gorgeous little Basque town set in the foothills on the France side of the Pyrenees. It’s bustling with tourists and pilgrims distinguishable by their footwear. The pilgrims start arriving in waves in the early afternoon and the town nearly shuts down by 3:30 as everyone is setting up their beds in their alburgue of choice. Many of the tourists have departed on the same buses that shuttled in the pilgrims.
As dawn breaks, the pilgrims work their way across the bridge and start climbing the long road up the Pyrenees. I’ve heard horror stories about people walking in the wind and rain not able to see more than 100 feet in front of them. I had the opposite experience. It was cool, crisp and the air was clean. Visibility seemed endless, and the views were spectacular. The climb was steep, but the Camino Le Puy had prepared me well. The sense of accomplishment after conquering this climb was truly inspiring.
I decided months ago that I wanted the experience of Refugio Orisson. It’s only half the way up the Pyrenees and the day’s walk was less than two hours. The social experience offered by Orisson is amazing. While hundreds stop on their way past, roughly 50 pilgrims fill dormitory beds. Dinner is family style. We socialize and talk throughout the meal, but the magic happens afterward. We’re all asked to stand up and introduce ourselves and talk about why we’re here on the Camino. Canadians, Koreans, Taiwanese, Germans, Kiwis, English, Australians, Brazilians, Latvians, Germans, and Americans all shared their reasons, which ranged from I’ve recently retired to I had a break before starting medical school. Half were Camino newbies and one woman was walking her tenth.
Orisson is a refugio without heat. The clear night temperatures were in the low 40’s. The cold night led to a sound sleep. Breakfast was served at 6:30 and sunrise was at 7:45. Most people started walking after first light. I caught the breathtaking sunrise about one kilometer up the hill. Every turn I took prompted me to stop and take a picture. After the climb, you walk along the ridgeline for a few miles. It was here that I ran into the Latvian ladies. This was their third Camino together and they had an interesting contribution to the Camino. They would gather flowers while walking and place them on top of the trail marker monuments, beautifying the path for those behind them.
The descent was fairly easy. I jogged most of it and mistakenly missed a turn. I ended up in a cow pasture, and following the fence, I made it to the road into Roncevalles. I was ready for a beer and sat with some folks from Lyon that I had passed on the way down. I walked the remaining 5 miles into Espinal with one of them. Spying flowers on the signs, I knew the Latvians were leading the way. I eventually ran into them and a few others from Orisson at dinner. The joy of meeting new people and sharing stories made it another magical day on the Camino.
The next day was a double, meaning I combined two stages and walked from Espinal to Pamplona. A little bit of up, a lot of down, and a long 26-mile walk, mostly with the Latvians, led me there. I was spent: sore, tired, and hungry. Pamplona was the perfect town for this. Outdoor cafes, tapas, and sangria were everywhere. I ran into another two ladies from Orisson while walking the streets looking for the perfect tapas. Due to injuries, they arrived by bus leaving their husbands to do the walking. As I sat at the tapas bar, I had time to reflect on my last three days. As I hobbled back to my hotel, I came across another familiar face. The young Czech woman I sat next to on the bus into Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port was there. Finally, she was smiling. Clearly bitten by the Camino bug. We said hello, and I wished her a Buen Camino.
I am definitely coming back to do the Frances route from start to end. Ideally, I could start strong and enjoy the Pyrenees like I did this time. Should I start from Condom and continue to Finisterre?
I don’t think there’s a better social environment than the Frances Route, especially when combined with Orisson. It feels weird to start and stop a walk after so little distance, but the experience is worth it. I will try to never miss it. It might be worth skipping Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and continuing to Orisson for the last day of the Camino Le Puy.
I was moved by the groups of people that I met: a woman and her best friend, another woman with her two good friends, a newlywed couple, a husband and wife and her two sisters, and two women who didn’t know each other before the Camino but had both come all the way from Taiwan. Traveling solo, I felt it was easy to meet and mingle. The international mix made it dramatically easier when compared to Le Puy where the predominate language was French.
The magic of the Pyrenees is hard to capture in words, but it’s felt in every step, every conversation, and every breathtaking view. From the steep climb out of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to the camaraderie at Orisson, the journey is filled with moments that stay with you long after the walk is over. The warmth of fellow pilgrims, the beauty of the landscape, and the sense of accomplishment after conquering the climb make it unforgettable. As I reflect on my time here, I know this won’t be my last Camino. The Frances route has a way of calling you back, and I’m already thinking about when I can return.
Who’s in?
